St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-01
S1ORDOCk KICKS BACK.
lie Says Marsh and Reed Are Trying
To Divert Public Opinion From
Themselves.
He Also Takes Occasion to Warn the
Political Bosses That Their
Reign Is Ended.
The Union Depot a Coed Thing for
Stillwater--A Boy Killed
in a Mill.

noon caused a warrant to be served on
Warden Stordock, charging him with
criminal libel. The paper was served
about O'Clock. and the warden will
appear before Judge Nethaway at 8
o'clock this morning.
The warden was not at all discOn-
certed by the appearance of the GLOBE
reporter at the office, who questioned
him as to the seriousness of the charge
and asked:
warden, what do you think the pur-
port of this charge is?'
He made the following reply, which is
given Ill full:
1t is to prejudice the people of the
state in advance of the report that will
surely be made by the board of charities
and corrections in regard to the investi-
CATION lately held relative to the charges
made by eX-Warden Reed. That this
case may be properly understood, it is
necessary to state something in regard
to who and what was the
CAUSE FOR THIS INVESTIGA ALTON.
When / first took possession as warden,
l discovered Irregularities; that is to
say, that the eX-warden had collected
money for convict labor and for petty
sales, without having accounted on the
books for the same. After making such
discoveries l telegraphed to Judge
Hicks, who was then one of the
inspectors, and, like myself, a new
man. | also knew that he was warm
personal friend of eX-Warden Reed. l
placed these matters before Inspector
Hicks; asked him to investigate for him
self, and advise me what to do. In
SpectOr Hicks said it must be inveSti-
gated, and, during the time he
served as inspector, l sought his advice
and acted on his suggestions. After In
spectOr Hicks resigned, and Liberty
Hall was appointed inspector, acted
on his (Hall'S) advice during the whole
time that l was compiling the irregu-
larities against Reed. l reported all
those matters to the other inspectors. |
did not advise with them as much as /
did with the new inspector, because they
had been here with Reed and were pref
udiced in his favor, to the extent that
the chairman of the board politely in
formed me, after seeking his advice,
that it was none of my business what
Reed had done. Now, as to who is re-
apOnsible for the investigation
IDENY THAT An.
The board of inspection officially and
unanimously requested the governor to
tiOnS to investigate charges or irregu-
laritieS that had come to light against
the eX-warden. l did make a report to
the governor about the same time, or
perhaps a little before, the board of in
SpectOrs asked for the investigation.
The testimony during that investigation
will show that Reed admitted receiving
at various times money from petty sales
and other sources that he did not ac-
count for on the prison books. This in
plain violation of the statute, that says
that moneys from every source received
by the warden shall be accounted for on
the books of the prison and turned into
the state treasurer. The ex-warden
tries to avoid this by saying that he
used this money for the state, but adj
mits that he had never kept even pri-
vate memoranda of money received or
paid out in this irregular way. This,
then, would seem to indicate that the
investigation was called for, even if
there were nothing more; and why the
attorney should attempt to charge me
with all sorts of crimes simply because |
had dared to do my duty is bepond my
comprehension. But severe cases gen
orally demand severe remedies, and to
attract the attention of the people of the
state from the real issue is undoubtedly
what he is trying to do.
THERE is A LITTLE CLIQUE
who have-partly as officers of the
prison and partly as good friends out
Side-had baskets filled and gOrged
themselves many a time at state eX-
pense: but the feed has been cut off
since the Sd day of last February: con-
sequently the crowd would do most
anything to make this administration a
shOrt-lived one. There is also another
class who have no use for me, because,
in a political way, l have gener-
ally been independent enough to object
to some of the orders of certain would
be political bosses. These same bosses
"a number of whom are politically
dead and buried, but don't know it
still imagine that they are the big cocks
in the pit, and that they can dictate and
make and unmake governors and other
officers of the state at their sweet will.
The times have changed. The common
people and taxpayers of the state begin
TO think that they have some rights, and
/ take it for granted that they would
rather have warden here who would
make all money transactions of the in
stitutiOn part of the prison record,
than to carry it for ten years or so inside
of No. & hat"
THE OTHER WARRANT.
81 understand, warden, that there is
also another warrant to be served on
you tomorrow. charging you with SUI
formation of perjury" said the GLOBE
reporter.
Eyes, am aware of it."
"What have you to say as TO that
charge?'
Simply that there is no foundation
not the slightest. / have not asked a
convict, male or female, to say one word
against Reed; nor have in any way
attempted to influence them, by threats
or promises, to make any charges or
affidavitS. This woman, Mary WeiShair,
of her own free will and accord, told me
of her intercourse with the eX-warden.
l stopped her and told her.
when she began to relate the story,
that / was not interested in any
scandals, and wanted her to understand
that l did not care to hear it, unless she
thou ght that it was something that i
ought to know as the warden of this
prison. / cautioned her to be very
careful and tell nothing but the truth,
that she would be willing to testify in a
court if called upon to do so. 1t was
a long time after she told me
before she made the affidavit,
and | was not present when she signed
and swore to it. For the information of
the people, let it be understood that
Mary Weirshair, at the first session of
investigating committee, refused to be
sworn, stating that she had already
made an affidavit and it was true. 1t
was only few weeks afterwards, after
she had been seen by a party sent to see
her privately by two of the inspectors,
and afterwards
PRIVATELY INTERVIEWED BY ATTOR-
NEY MARSH, ID
that she came to the conclusion that
she had been forced to make such affida-
Wit against Reed. Now the query is,
what so chunged her mind and courage
between the first and last meeting of
the examining board? What think you
led the woman Burner to testify in the
manner she did?"
Gin the first place, natural cussedness
cl, inlI hn